Best Tent Camping near Santa Ynez, CA

Recent Tent Reviews near Santa Ynez, California

693 Reviews of 27 Santa Ynez Campgrounds

• L

  Linda S.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 27, 2022

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Something to please everyone

  We’ve camped here many times over the last 15 years. We’ve tent camped on primitive sites and camped with a pop-up with electricity & water. None of the full hookup sites have a view but some of the tent sites do. There isn’t much fishing now, because the water is so low, but there are still pretty hikes to be had and water slides if it’s hot. We’ve been to the ropes course too, which is really fun.

• 

  Tracey

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Peaceful retreat from the craziness

  We just spent one night at Cachuma Lake (a Sunday), camping near Chumash Meadows. The tent camping sites were probably only ~30% full, which made for a very peaceful (albeit short) stay! The sites are big with picnic tables and fire pits, and many are shaded by large trees. The nearby toilet block was clean, as were the showers (a little further away). Our tent site had a view out to the lake, and was a bargain! 

  There is a store (with a not-so-great assortment of goods), a restaurant and a fishing/boat hire shop. The roads and paths make for great cycling, and there are trails to explore too.

  We drove through the whole camp ground checking out the various areas (full RV sites, partial RV sites, tent sites, yurts & cabins). The full RV sites were (not surprisingly) still pretty full, even in mid-October, but the rest were not. We loved the campground, and plan to return for longer next time. Its proximity to cute little nearby towns is a bonus!

• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 27, 2018

  Mt. Figueroa Campground

  Figueroa Mountain

  Figueroa Campground is a 33-35 site campground behind Los Olivos, CA. It is surrounded by live oaks and gorgeous manzanita trees, so there is a lot of shade available.

  Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups, and only pit-toilets are available. Note that there is NO DRINKING WATER available at Figueroa Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to hike or backpack through the area.

  There is a a lot of hiking trails available in the nearby area. Both Figueroa Mountain and nearby Grass Mountain are extremely popular hiking spots, especially in early spring when the wildflowers bloom in late March or early April . During the wildflower bloom, the sides of the hills and mountains can look solid vibrant ORANGE from afar - the wild California poppies grow dense in this area. Purple mountain lupine flowers are also found during the wildflower bloom.

  If you or anyone in your party does not want to/cannot hike, the top of Figueroa Mountain is completely assessable by car - all of the big lookout points for optimal wildflower viewing are accessible by car, so the wildflowers are essentially accessible to everyone, hikers or not.

  The Davy Brown Creek and Manzana Creek trails are also accessible from the Figueroa Mountain area; the area is popular for cyclists and off-road cyclists.

  WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trails.

  While the campground is fairly remote in the the hills, you are only 20 minutes away from Los Olivos, and 30 minutes away from Santa Ynez. Los Olivos has a great market with groceries, a bakery/coffee shop, a deli, and beer and local wine. There are many local vineyards, wineries, and breweries nearby. The Firestone Walker brewery, taproom, and Resturant is close-by - we highly recommend their food and beers!

  CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

  Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

  Drinking Water: No

  Showers: No

  Picnic Table: Yes

  Firepit: Yes

  Cooking Grate: Yes

  Shade: Yes

  Cell Service: No

  Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 3, 2018

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Cachuma Lake - in the heart of Los Padres National Forest

  I am a native of Santa Barbara, CA, so I grew up going to Cachuma Lake. Cachuma Lake’s main recreational area is on a bluff overlooking the lake. There you can find tent sites, yurts, cabins, and full hookups for RVs. There are also smaller campgrounds at lake level - we prefer to stay in the Mohawk Shores campground, which is at lake level. The Mohawk Shores campsites are in a more densely packed oak grove, offering more shade and more privacy than the upper-level campgrounds. A few years ago they started pricing the “lakeside” sites in Mohawk more expensively than the rest of the sites in the area; ironic though, since the lake has been so empty the last few years due to the drought, and these sites are no longer lakeside.

  The campsites each have their own picnic table and firepit with a grate, and water spigots are available in various places around the campground. Mohawk has its own bathroom with flushable toilets and coin-operated showers - the bathrooms and showers are kept clean. I prefer to shower in the showers located in the upper-level campgrounds, as they are in their own individual, lockable stalls, rather than the locker-room type set up in the bathroom in Mohawk. There are multiple dumpsters available for trash AND recycling around all of the campgrounds.

  Caution: There is a lot of poison oak around the park!

  We have rented a yurt a couple times, and hope to do so again soon. The yurts have bunk beds inside (bring your own bedding!), an overhead light, and a heater. Outside each yurt is a picnic table, charcoal barbeque, a firepit, and a water spigot.

  We will often bring an easy-up to use in the day-camp areas in the upper-level of the park. There are oak trees all over the park, but if day use site with a table under a tree gets snagged, it’s nice to have the easy-up for shade - if you have one, I would recommend bringing an easy-up if you are going to camp in the upper level campgrounds, not all of the sites have shade.

  A small but well-stocked general store is available, as well a small (expensive) gas station. Cachuma also has a pool (for an additional fee), gameroom, playgrounds/jungle-gyms, and disc golf courses available.

  Cachuma Lake is a great place for wildlife viewing and birding. I am a photographer, and love seeing all of the birds that hang out around Cachuma - ducks, coots, Western and Clark’s grebes, loons, osprey, hawks, turkey vultures, turkeys, quail, American white pelicans, cormorants, etc. I have gotten my best birding photos at Cachuma Lake. Deer can often be viewed on the shores of the lake, and we have even seen bobcats and foxes. Pontoon boat tours to view wildlife launch every day from the marina.

  Keep in mind that you CANNOT SWIM in Cachuma Lake. Silly, I know, but they justify it because Cachuma lake is Santa Barbara’s drinking water source. You are allowed to boat, kayak, and fish on the lake, but no swimming! Motor boats and pontoon boats are available to rent, and now they even have kayaks to rent hourly! My dad has a small 14 ft fishing boat, and we enjoy taking the boat out on the lake to fish and sightsee.

  There are endless trails around Cachuma Lake in Los Padres National Forest. There are some mellow hikes around the perimeter of the lake itself, offering nice views of the lake and the surrounding Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountains.

  Figueroa Mountain is near Los Olivos - Grass Mountain and Figueroa Mountain are both beautiful hikes, especially in the spring when the wild flowers are in bloom. Both are strenuous, steep hikes, but the views are totally worth the effort.

  Cachuma lake is about a half an hour from the city of Santa Barbara, 15 minutes away from Santa Ynez (if you like to gamble check out the Chumash Casino), 20 minutes away from Solvang, and 20 minutes away from Los Olivos. There is fantastic wine tasting available in any of these small towns, and everywhere in between - you are in the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country! There are endless tasting rooms available inside the towns, and countless vineyards that you can visit to wine taste. A popular wine trail is on Foxen Canyon Road - it is a lovely drive on a country road with some really beautiful and quality wineries and vineyards.

  Solvang is a fun town to visit - it was originally a community full of Danish immigrants, so the Danish theme has stuck. It is very touristy, but even as a native, I still enjoy going to Solvang. There are a lot of shops, antiques, candy stores, restaurants and tasting rooms to visit. We are partial to the Solvang Restaurant, and for more than just their Danish Aebleskivers. If you don’t know what an aebleskiver is - its DELICIOUS. Aebleskivers are round Danish pancakes that are shaped like a ball - they serve them with amazing homemade raspberry jam and powdered sugar. Everything at the Solvang Restaurant is good, from their traditional breakfasts to their Scandinavian offerings to their sandwiches.

  More Food Recommendations:

  Cold Springs Tavern is a historic site dating back to the 1880s when it was a stagecoach stop. Cold Springs Tavern has a full bar and serves some quality meat selections, including famous Santa Barbara style tri-tip. If you are there on a Sunday, they start serving traditional tri-tip sandwiches around 11am - BEST tri-tip sandwiches around! They cook up the meat on giant barbeques outside, and serve the sandwiches hot off the grill - just tri-tip and fresh garlic bread, YUM. They have homemade salsa and homemade BBQ sauce to dress the sandwich with. Sundays at Cold Springs Tavern is a popular spot for locals to go have a beer or a drink with tri-tip, and there’s always a fun atmosphere.

  If you are in the mood for some quality Mexican food, Dos Carlitos in Santa Ynez is a favorite spot.

  Los Olivos Grocery has a great deli with delicious sandwiches - both hot and cold - and a good selection tasty deli side dishes. The store also has a good selection of local wines.

  CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $30/night

  **Plumbed Toilets: Yes

  **Drinking Water: Yes

  **Showers: Yes (coins needed)

  **Picnic Table: Yes

  **Firepit: Yes

  **Cooking Grate: Yes

  **Shade: Yes

  **Cell Service: Yes - Limited

  Animal Bins/Food Lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

• 

  Veronica S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 22, 2022

  Foster Residence Campground

  Conveniently close to Ventura, nicely managed

  We stayed here in June as part of a 3 week camping trip. Foster Residence was the closest to a city that we've stayed in, and that was apparent during the stay (i.e. we had 2 fuel canisters stolen, odd people obviously tweeking coming in the middle of the night and screaming obscenities the next morning, a couple families setting up next to us for the weekend for late night partying, lots of road traffic, etc.).

  There are some reviews for this campground under Foster Park Campground. That is a separate campground right next to this one separated by a little nature trail. The same camp host manages both. Foster Park CG is RIGHT next to the road. But it does have a swing set with like one swing if that sways you. Foster Residence is otherwise the better choice. 

  The tent sites are further back into the trees and there is a lot of shade. When we pulled in, there was an oak branch down on top of our fire pit and picnic table. We tried to get the host, but he was unavailable. The next morning he stopped by and said he'd get maintance. I told him they can leave the wood next to the fire pit and we could burn some of it, and that's what we did. That came in handy because there were tons of biting flies. The smoke helped to control them while we were at the campsite. And on the subject of little flying things, there are also a lot of wasps in the area that LOVE meat. So if you are going to try to cook meat, just be aware that they will consider it theirs lol. 

  The bathroom is separated into male and female and the female has 2 toilet stalls with flushing toilets and stall doors that work and lock. Also a sink with running water, coconut-smelling hand soap, and hand dryers with warm air. I'm assuming the mens is similar.

  The tent sites do not have electricity (normal for a tent site). We stayed for 6 nights and on the last morning we received a notice from a "park ranger" that privacy tents are not allowed due to sanitary concerns? That's like national park-level control-freakness there. There IS full cell service at site 14 and other random places in the campground area. There are no showers, no store, and there is plenty of potable water.

  Overall, it was nice being able to tent camp so close to the beach (the reason we came to the area was for my son to take surf lessons... we live in the Midwest) and also not be IN the city. But the area was definitely not my kinda bag. Still, if I had to go back to the area, I'd probably stay again.

• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 24, 2018

  Nira Campground

  Nira Campground

  Nira is a small, primitive campground in the San Rafael wilderness behind the Santa Ynez Valley. The campground is a bit of a haul to get back to, and is often used as a base for backpackers entering the San Rafael wilderness or the Manzana Creek trail. I myself have only tent camped at Nira, just to go somewhere different - my boyfriend and his friends have backpacked out of Nira into the San Rafael Wilderness and to the Manzana Schoolhouse on multiple occasions.

  Nira is the second, smaller campground back on Sunset Valley Road - Davy Brown Campground is up the road a little ways. Nira is small, with only 12 sites in a densely wooded live oak grove. The oaks provide a lot of shade and help separate the various camp sites. The Manzana Creek runs behind the campground; the main road leading into Nira is right above the campground, however, you’re pretty far back in the hills, so there isn’t a lot of noise from traffic.

  Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups and only pit-toilets are available. There is NO DRINKING WATER available at Nira Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to backpack through the area.

  WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking the Manzana Trail be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trail. CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

  Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

  Drinking Water: No

  Showers: No

  Picnic Table: Yes

  Firepit: Yes

  Cooking Grate: Yes

  Shade: Yes

  Cell Service: No

  Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 24, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Carpinteria State Beach Campground

  Carpinteria State Beach Campground is a one of our frequently visited “staycation” spots. We live in nearby Santa Barbara, but will use Carp State Beach as a midway meeting point when friends from Southern California and Central California meet up.

  The campground is pretty large, and caters mostly to RVs and trailers. There are loops within the campground that are essentially just asphalt lots with small dirt spaces for fire pits and picnic benches - these are intended for RV campers, but we have tent camped there in a pinch. Since we are tent campers we do prefer to camp in the grassy tent sites, but they are limited in number and tend fill up quickly. Because of the moderate year-round weather, Carpinteria State Beach Campground stays pretty full all year long!

  The campground has full hook ups, clean plumed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. There are grocery stores and conscience stores within short walking distance for anything you might need. Train tracks run directly behind the campground, so there is some noise pollution from the passing trains.

  The campground is at the very end of downtown Carpinteria, right next to the ocean. There are no “ocean front” sites, but the beach is a quick 1-minute walk from essentially anywhere in the campground. Some small sandy dunes separate the campground from the beach, and there is an accessible paved boardwalk running along the length of the dunes. There are beautiful tide pools just south of Carpinteria State Beach Campground that are a must see. Check the tide charts on the internet to visit the tide pools at low to mid tide.

  While we really enjoy camp cooking, we tend to opt to walk into town to eat when camping in Carpinteria. Linden Avenue is right next to the campground, and is the main street in downtown Carpinteria. There is a wide variety of restaurants, breweries and coffee shops downtown. Island Brewery CO is a local favorite just on the edge of the campground - while I don’t think they have food available (yet), their beer is GREAT! Their avocado beer is a must try - I know it sounds weird, but it’s delicious (and doesn’t taste like avocados)! Rincon Brewery is a few blocks up from the campground, and also has great beer, and TASTY FOOD!

  CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $45/night (normal campsite)

  Plumbed Toilets: Yes

  Drinking Water: Yes

  Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

  Picnic Table: Yes

  Firepit: Yes

  Cooking Grate: Yes

  Shade: No

  Cell Service: Yes

  Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

• 

  Antonio C.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 16, 2020

  Foster Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

  Local Favorite

  Located right off highway 33 in Ventura California. This campground sits were the historical town of Foster Park once stood, which was torn down to build the highway. There are actually two campgrounds here separated by an abandoned road, Red Mountain and Foster Park residence campground. We stayed at the residence campground which offers some nice primitive tent sites. With lots of Boulders and old tables and abandoned buildings this campground was perfect. Foster park bowl, an old abandoned amphitheater is just a short walk away. Campground sits in close proximity to either Ventura or Ojai. The campground host was nice and friendly. All the tent sites were unoccupied so we were the only ones there which was great.

• 

  Sierra V.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2018

  Faria Beach Park

  Sweet beach spot

  Rv and tent camping along with quarter operating showers. fairly close to the fairgrounds as well.

• K

  Kelly E.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 20, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Nice State Beach Campground

  This is a nice little spot, close to town, but not as close to the train as some of the other Southern California state beaches. The campground hosts went above and beyond to keep the bathrooms clean and even provided nice soap. The tent camping spots were a pretty good size for beach camping.

• M

  Michael

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 24, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Green grass near beach

  Green, grassy campground with well separated spaces. Most pull thru and level. All surrounded by grass for nice tent camping. Surf sound is continuous. Masks other sounds except noisy generator in next site. Nice restrooms

• e

  emma

  Guide

  

  May. 3, 2021

  El Capitán State Beach Campground

  Awesome beach, too close to freeway

  The beach is amazing. But if you’re tent camping don’t bother going if you can only get a site on the back side by the freeway. Way too loud, especially when the trains go by. Sites by the beach are night and day

• 

  Andrea R.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 26, 2019

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  It has a pool!

  As with many southern California lakes, there is no human contact with the water due to it being a reclamation center. Unlike many other southern California lakes, this one has a pool!

  The bathrooms are well maintained and there are flush toilets and coin operated showers. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. I tent camped, like always, but they have cabins, yurts and rv spots. The guys enjoyed the fishing.

  I still have a problem paying $25+ for a place in the dirt, but families love it.

• 

  Steve J.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 15, 2022

  River Park (City Park) - CLOSED

  Middle of the road

  It is a fine enough campground, the nearby park being its main selling point. There is nothing special in the way of amenities or things to do, but it is peaceful and you are mostly left alone,

  Bathrooms are closed, tent camping is closed.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 13, 2023

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Quiet in the off-season

  General: Many different options from tent sites to premium tent sites, water/electric, and FHU sites in addition to yurts and cabins. 

  Site Quality: Varies greatly depending on what type of site you choose. The only sites with gravel paved pads were the ones with water/electric hookups or FHU; all others were grass. Most seemed level. It was raining heavily when we were there and some of the sites were flooded. Very little to no separation/privacy between sites. We were in a w/e site, and it was long enough to easily accommodate two camper vans.

  Activities/Amenities: Off-season, everything was closed but in-season, there is a marina, boat rentals, restaurant, store, gas station, pool, and laundry. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but very basic. No hooks or shelves for toiletries. Cold water only. The shower looked nice but did not use so cannot comment on it. 

  IMO, the best options are the premier tent sites, yurts, and cabins as they offer the best lake views. We had not planned on camping here but after evacuating from Jalama Beach, we were told this park would honor our reservation. It rained most of the time we were there, and it was off-season, so I imagine it would be an entirely different experience in the summer when all amenities were offered and the campground was full.

• C

  Casey B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 27, 2021

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Great County Campground

  Nice spot, sites are well spaced, FHU spots have concrete pads.

  Lots of tent/group sites available, tent sites are roomy many with great shade.

  Large disc golf course, well stocked general store, gas station (no diesel) boat rentals.

  No body contact is allowed with the lake.

• 

  April C.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 14, 2023

  KCL Campground

  Great location

  Nice and clean. Vault toilets. There’s water, but not sure if it’s potable, there wasn’t a sign. No trash service, you have to pack it out. There is an area for your horse. Walk in sites, rv/car camp/van/tent sites. It’s first come first serve, no reservations and it’s free.

• J

  JENNIFER F.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 26, 2016

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Squirrel Campsites

  The squirrel campsites for tent camping is great as they have more shade than other spots. Restrooms were clean and always had toilet paper stocked. They have been having bears coming into camp but we kept our food locked up and cleaned up all trash and didn't have any issues with them. The lake is low but they have great hiking trails and the wild turkeys are always fun to see.

• 

  Dianne S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2018

  El Capitán State Beach Campground

  Love it! One of my favs!

  I've camped here a handful of times. Our friends camp here regularly. It's convenient, easy drive-up and set up tent camping. The campground and the bathrooms are well taken care of and clean. It's also nice that the beach is nearby. Down at the beach, there is an area where the wind is also pretty decent and great for kite flying. Central California is a wonderful area to camp. Sometimes we stay at the campground and enjoy the beach or chill at our site. Other times we've driven and gone wine tasting nearby for a couple hours. Either way we always have a great time! Just wish it was easier to get a weekend reservation in the summer.

• 

  Lauren H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Manzana Campground

  Perfect site for relaxing by the water

  I have been here a few times over the years and it never disappoints! This year the swimming holes were perfect for some post hike cools downs. On the way to the site prepare for about 12 water crossings. There are roughly 6 tent sites all close together. There was a pretty rowdy crew of guys so get there early to pick your spot!

• L

  Luke L.

  Traveler

  

  May. 17, 2018

  Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

  Beautiful ocean sunsets at this quaint campground

  Nestled between Ventura and Santa Barbara just north of Los Angeles is this picture perfect State Beach campground. This location has both full hook-ups as well as tent camping right up to the coast This campsite also has showers availa le and restrooms There are plenty of miles of bike trails as well as hiking tails to the Bluffs that overlook a sea lion protected sanctuary But the most glorious reason to come here are the breath taking sunsets viewable from your own campsite

• K

  Kela K.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 9, 2021

  Wheeler Gorge Campground

  Easily accessible campground in any vehicle

  This campground is a great site to meet up with friends that don't always get out and go exploring as it's a nice campground off a main road through the Ojai area.

  We booked a site here while driving through and spent a weekend catching up with friends that were able to drive up in a small car and join us.

  Beautiful wooded area with a nice stream that passes through. Good flat soft ground to tent camp and a great spot to throw up some hammocks and relax!

• 

  Jen G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 24, 2017

  Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

  Ranger Review: Optic Nerve Sunglasses at Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, CA

  Campground Review:

  This would be the most epic campground ever for a huge family reunion! There is something for everyone here- RV sites, tent sites, cabins, yurts, even big group sites. There are tent sites overlooking Lake Cachuma, and tent sites in the shady grass, and almost everything in between. There's a dog park, and playgrounds, and a pool (since you can't swim in the lake because it's drinking water... which was strange to us as Utahns when all reservoirs are drinking water and we still swim in them), and a general store! There are close to 200 sites here, which is mind-boggling to me. It was an awesome campground, and we were cooking up plans for a someday party (be it friends or family) there.

  The restrooms are plentiful and clean, the quiet hours are well observed (though that may have had more to do with the fact that the campground was pretty empty while we were there), and the facilities are reasonably easy to navigate. Every employee we interacted with was helpful and professional. We rented kayaks for several hours while we were there and it was a blast! This place is a perfect little getaway a super reasonable distance from Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas.

  My only complaints were mostly about the tent sites. Some of them are a little too smashed together with unclear boundaries, and the footing consisted of kind of icky weeds. I know, it's me being absurdly nitpicky. But I can't give EVERY campground 5 stars... right..?

  Product Review:

  As Rangers for The Dyrt, we get products to test from time to time, and at Lake Cachuma we tested out some Optic Nerve sunglasses. We used them throughout our trip, but they came in especially handy while kayaking! The morning started out a little cloudy so we were worried that we wouldn't get a real opportunity to use them, but the sun eventually came out and the sunglasses were PERFECT. The pairs we got were polarized, which was great for cutting glare from the water (as well as driving throughout our whole road trip. The sunglasses were comfortable and seemed high quality, which was great considering they're nowhere near as spendy as some of the high-end brands of sunglasses. I'll admit I was too much of a wuss to see if they'd float in the lake, but they were awesome for keeping our eyes safe and protected (from the sun and from splashes)! If I had to have any gripe it would be that the wood grain print on the sunglasses I got (which I love) is pretty pixelated up close- completely a non-issue that only affects aesthetics, but might look better with a higher resolution for future printings.

  Pro Tip for Hungry Adventurers: DO NOT MISS Cold Spring Tavern just up the highway from Lake Cachuma. Delicious food, atmosphere that is simply out of this world, and a gorgeous setting. Seriously. Don't miss it. And if you live in Santa Barbara and you've never been... GO. NOW. You won't regret it.

• 

  Marie K.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 17, 2022

  KCL Campground

  Peaceful retreat in beautiful desolate Carrizo Plains

  Great little spot! I pulled in late at 10pm with my camper van. All the spots were taken except one tent camping spot - but it was super chill so im sure I could have parked in the large pullout just before the designated campground area. Just parked in the parking area of the camp area and slept in van. It was lightly drizzling when I woke up- absolutely beautiful! It was quite and everyone was very respectful. No water on site, people had campfires. Heads up - the road getting there is long and pretty rough, took a star for that - definitely washboard sections- so watch out for that. Happy camping

• 

  Bridget B.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 30, 2021

  Jalama Beach County Park

  Campground well maintained!

  GORGEOUS scenery, and wonderfully maintained campground. Would love to be back here someday, though I know it's hard to find reservations. We tent camped and there were maybe two other campers with tents. It was quiet windy, though not as windy as it can get out there! Winds were about 25 mph at the highest, which was loud in our tent and brought a lot of sand in. We were also unable to have a campfire because the fire pits were well out on the beach sand and unprotected. Though we didn't get the full camping experience with a bonfire, I can see why this campground is full through the summer time. Being right on the beach, able to swim in the ocean or tan on the beach sand and then have a fire would be absolutely wonderful.

• 

  Kelly M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Refugio State Beach Campground

  Beachfront camping

  If you're tent camping, try to get a site far from the RV-dominated area. That will ensure more peace and quiet where you can hear the waves (and not annoying generators). There are some really epic beachfront sites- you just kinda live at the beach. Sadly, this area was seriously impacted by an oil spill a few years back. The water seems to be okay for swimming/surfing, but you'll definitely end up with globs of tar stuck to you. Take some baby oil to help get the tar out and don't wear any swimsuit/trunks you dont want stained. That said, it is still a really beautiful place to spend some quality beach time and seems to have recovered somewhat since the oil spill.

• 

  Margo A.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Red Rock Campground

  Day Use Only

  Red Rock day use campground is adjacent to the Santa Ynez River and has high rocks for jumping into the water. There are 28 sites with picnic tables and vault toilets. This area is found by taking Highway 154 N. Out of Santa Barbara and turn right on Paradise Road for several miles. Vehicle fees are 10-50$ depending on the size of the vehicle. Summer temperatures are over 100° but it’s very popular due to the fog that comes in to Santa Barbara in the summer. Usually you can find young people with music blasting, drinking beer jumping off rocks.